BLS Choking 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A coworker is eating lunch and suddenly cannot speak or cough. She nods 'yes' when you ask if she is choking. You should:
- Call 911 immediately and do nothing else until they arrive
- Encourage her to keep trying to cough on her own
- Stand behind her and begin abdominal thrusts (Correct answer)
- Give her water to try to wash the food down
Correct answer: Stand behind her and begin abdominal thrusts
Inability to speak or cough signals a severe obstruction requiring immediate abdominal thrusts — do not delay intervention.
Question 2: After relieving an infant's choking obstruction, you notice the infant is not breathing normally. You should:
- Place the infant in the recovery position and monitor
- Begin infant CPR with 30 compressions and 2 breaths (Correct answer)
- Deliver 5 more back blows as a precaution
- Call 911 and wait before doing anything
Correct answer: Begin infant CPR with 30 compressions and 2 breaths
If the infant is not breathing normally after the obstruction is cleared, begin CPR immediately with 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.
Question 3: Which statement about using abdominal thrusts on a child (age 1–8) is correct?
- Use the same force as you would for a large adult
- Use gentler, less forceful thrusts scaled to the child's size (Correct answer)
- Chest thrusts must always be used instead of abdominal thrusts
- Abdominal thrusts are never appropriate for children
Correct answer: Use gentler, less forceful thrusts scaled to the child's size
Abdominal thrusts for children should use less force than for adults to avoid injury, while still being firm enough to generate the necessary airway pressure.
Question 4: Before calling 911, a responsive adult choking victim should receive how many abdominal thrusts?
- None — call 911 first
- 2 thrusts, then call
- 5 thrusts, then call if not resolved (Correct answer)
- 10 thrusts, then call
Correct answer: 5 thrusts, then call if not resolved
For a responsive adult, begin with up to 5 abdominal thrusts immediately; if the obstruction is not cleared, call 911 (or have someone else call) and continue thrusts.
Question 5: A person is found unconscious and you suspect choking as the cause. Before starting CPR, what unique step should you perform?
- Deliver 5 abdominal thrusts in the supine position first
- Open the airway and look in the mouth for a visible foreign object before attempting breaths (Correct answer)
- Skip rescue breaths and begin compressions only
- Perform 5 back blows before compressions
Correct answer: Open the airway and look in the mouth for a visible foreign object before attempting breaths
Open the airway with a head-tilt chin-lift and look for a visible object in the mouth; only remove it if clearly visible before beginning CPR.
Question 6: An elderly resident of a nursing home is choking and has significant osteoporosis. Which concern is MOST relevant when choosing your technique?
- Abdominal thrusts may be ineffective due to poor diaphragm strength
- Chest thrusts carry a higher risk of rib fracture in this population (Correct answer)
- Back blows are contraindicated in elderly patients
- All choking techniques are equally safe regardless of bone density
Correct answer: Chest thrusts carry a higher risk of rib fracture in this population
Chest thrusts carry a higher risk of rib fracture in patients with osteoporosis, so abdominal thrusts are generally preferred unless abdominal thrusts are contraindicated.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'mild' airway obstruction in a choking patient?
- The patient cannot speak but can nod their head
- The patient has a strong cough and can breathe between coughs (Correct answer)
- The patient has turned blue and is losing consciousness
- The patient cannot make any sounds whatsoever
Correct answer: The patient has a strong cough and can breathe between coughs
A mild (partial) airway obstruction is characterized by a strong, effective cough and the ability to breathe, indicating some air is still moving past the obstruction.
BLS Choking 5
A coworker is eating lunch and suddenly cannot speak or cough.
She nods 'yes' when you ask if she is choking.
You should: